Beckham’s arrival at Spurs would prove that Bentley’s boasts were just a sad joke

The legitimacy surrounding Tottenham's pursuit of a loan move for David Beckham says as much about the progression made by the club in a remarkable season as it does the regression in the career of David Bentley.

Spurs have explored similar ventures in the past only to suffer embarrassment with Fernando Morientes, Rivaldo and Ronaldo all rejecting their overtures.

Yet Beckham's temporary move to White Hart Lane is a realistic proposition as the most recognisable footballer on the planet appears keen to renege on his vow never to play for another English club other than Manchester United.

At 35, Beckham's star is fading fast as a player but he remains a phenomenon in popularity and intrigue while his enduring professionalism rubs off on those alongside him.

It is this attitude and gravitas which Spurs hope to tap into as the considerable challenges they face at home and abroad heighten in the second half of the season.

The boost he would provide to sales in the club's megastore is undeniably appealing to chairman Daniel Levy and the former England captain's impact will be most keenly felt on the balance sheet and at the club's Chigwell training ground, nearby which the Beckhams retain a family home.

There must be considerable doubt that he can thrive on the pitch in a division where frenetic pace and boundless energy often prevails.

Harry Redknapp believes Beckham's work ethic and professional attitude despite vast fame and fortune is a lesson his squad could only benefit from seeing at close quarters.

What a shame, then, that Bentley long since decided he doesn't need to study. Redknapp has confirmed the player wishes to leave the club after a remarkable depreciation in his career since arriving from Blackburn for £15million in July 2008.

At that time, Bentley had broken into the England squad and exhibited a breathtaking arrogance when confronted with Beckham comparisons.

"I'm here to take Beckham's place and that's what I'll be trying to do," he said after a substitute appearance for England against France earlier that year. "I want to play for England. He wants to play for England and it will be interesting when battle commences."

No prizes for guessing who won. Instead of drawing inspiration from Beckham's enduring willingness to put practice before presumptuousness, Bentley was dazzled by the style and forgot the substance.

He had DB7 stitched onto his St George's Cross boots upon earning the first flurry of his England caps (he only has seven now) and completely bought into the notion he was Beckham's natural successor on the right wing.

"He needs to lose that tag of he's another Beckham'," said Redknapp in 2009, shortly after Bentley drove his Porsche into a lamp-post. "He's not Beckham, he's David Bentley. I'll be honest, the lads call him Becks and I don't think that helps him."

Imagine the farcical scene at Chigwell if Bentley is still there if and when the real thing arrives.

He claimed to be the New Beckham but it appears he isn't even better than the Beckham of 2011.

Fabio Capello elongated Beckham's international career because he still provides a stabilising presence at the end of games through mature ball retention while his skills in delivery from wide areas and set-pieces endure.

All of which Bentley should be capable of already aged 26. Beckham's potential move may have greater implications for Spurs as a club in terms of their credibility in Europe but the case for his impact in pure playing terms would be exponentially weaker if Bentley was anywhere near as good as he thinks he is.

Aaron Lennon provides devastating pace and a direct style that contrasts nicely with Bentley and Beckham when an alternative approach is required. Lennon's delivery has improved but it remains his weakness and Beckham's strength.

Although he has suffered with injuries, Bentley has failed to challenge Lennon as a viable option as the latter, along with Theo Walcott, Adam Johnson and several others now sit ahead of him in the pecking order for England.

Of course, both deals may not happen. Spurs, understandably, want to recoup as much of that £15m as possible and Bentley will no doubt demand exorbitant wages. Furthermore, nothing is ever simple with Beckham with as many as 14 clubs rumoured to be vying for his signature while Los Angeles Galaxy may have grown weary of their principal investment's globetrotting.

Bentley has been written off by many — including right now in this column — and he has chance to prove us wrong. Time is on his side as he approaches supposedly the peak years of his career but he would do well to remember the sacrifices others have made to repeatedly overcome adversity and negativity. Like Beckham.

Neville's had his day, Fergie

In October this column highlighted the ever-diminishing powers of Gary Neville and once again the 35-year-old has escaped recrimination as the modern game makes him look more like a relic with each passing week.

Neville's third Premier League start of the season should have ended in the first half after he was hopelessly caught out of position and bereft of pace as he hauled down West Brom's Graham Dorrans in the box.

Penalty and a red card was the only sensible conclusion and yet referee Chris Foy allowed Neville to escape, just as Andre Marriner did when the former England defender cynically fouled Stoke's Matthew Etherington only to avoid a second yellow card.

Neville has been a Manchester United and England stalwart — Sir Alex Ferguson's on-pitch lieutenant — but it is with sadness that we witness the decline of a great player who has never recovered from a savage run of injuries.

But the loyalty Ferguson showed Neville in rewarding his service with another contract has run its course. He can no longer afford the liability that Neville represents in the tightest of title races.

Twice he has got away with it — perhaps three strikes and he's out. Then again, maybe he is United's luck charm. Given his displays, that may be just about all he has left to offer on the pitch.

Ron would be wrong to do it

Venky's chair Anuradha Desai: "We have good advisers in the UK. I have my brother — he is fully knowledgeable. He is the guy who said, Yes, Ronaldinho would be a good choice'."

Anyone who has seen Blackburn in recent weeks would surely agree that an overweight Brazilian past his prime identified by many as a luxury player is just what they need at present.

Surely he will resist the lure of wages beginning at £6.5million a year to join a, at best, mid-table side? It would be a signal of choosing to cash in on his reputation rather than using the rest of his career to enhance it. Either way, it seems certain to end in embarrassment.